2.07.2010

Did you see in the NFC title game where the NFL equivalent of what happened to the Riders in the Grey Cup happened to the Minnesota Vikings against the New Orleans Saints? They were driving late with the game tied at 28 when, after a timeout, they got caught with too many players on the field, and had to call consecutive time-outs (which is illegal, and carries a five yard penalty) to avoid being flagged for too many men. That pushed them further out of field goal range, and ultimately led to Brent Farve throwing that ill-advised interception that sent the game into OT.

Instead of the "Thirteenth Man", however, that calamity will go down in Viking lore as the "Twelfth Man" because in the NFL, of course, they play 11 men a side.

In Minnesota, much as in Saskatchewan, fans have been wondering who the extra player was. "Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?" they scream in anguish, vowing never to get fooled again into believing that their team knows how to substitute its players properly. Talk about a generation of loyal football fans who've been scarred for life.

The adults, they'll recover. They've climbed aboard the magic bus before and taken many a bumpy ride, their emotions smacked around like a pinball being played by a wizard. But the kids most assuredly won't be alright. They might put up an eminent front, but as the miles stretch away, I can see tough times ahead for them, squeezed into their little boxes of despair.

See me, feel me, they cry out. Seekers, all, in quest of NFL glory.

While Rider fans must wait until June for the healing process to begin, Viking fans can start their recovery by watching today's Superbowl in which the Saints, the team that defeated their beloved men in purple, take on the favoured Indianapolis Colts in Miami (kick-off at 5:15 or so).

It should be a humdinger. Playing at half-time of the game, by the way, is a venerable U.K. rock band. I'm sure you'll recognize them by their song "Baba O'Riley" (YouTube)